Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus having an image pickup element and particularly relates to improved image quality of an image captured thereby.
Description of the Related Art
An imaging apparatus may include a CCD or a CMOS image sensor as a sensor for detecting radiation. A characteristic of such a sensor is influenced by a change in temperature of a sensor array itself having the sensor or in temperature of a peripheral circuit for operating the sensor. Because such a change in temperature results in a change in dark current of the sensor, a difference occurs between an image and an offset value due to the dark current, deteriorating the image quality of the resulting radiographic image.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-33036 discloses a method for correcting such dark current by providing a plurality of temperature sensors in a plurality of subarrays in a sensor array (CMOS image sensor) and changing a correction value for dark current in accordance with values of the temperature sensors.
However, in an imaging apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-33036, it is complicated to associate data of a plurality of subarrays and data of a plurality of temperature sensors, which may possibly further complicate data processing for the correction.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an imaging apparatus including a plurality of temperature sensors and a plurality of subarrays, which allows easy association of data of subarrays and data of temperature sensors.